Seabed vegetation analysis by a 2 MHz sonar

This paper focuses on research developed to analyze seabed vegetation by means of a high frequency acoustic device. Marine plants play a fundamental role in every ecosystem and innovative methods to more accurately investigate and characterize the coastal sea flora extents are required. Data acquisition about marine vegetation is accomplished by using a high frequency (1.5-2.0 MHz) sector-scan imaging sonar looking at the seabed. The acquisition process and the related technical constraints are described. Data collected in a tank populated by the Mediterranean plant Posidonia oceanica are shown in an image format and acoustic backscattered signals are processed. The proposed approach employs a statistical feature-based description of the raw sonar data.